I Could Fall in Love 'with you'
by OtakuLeader
Summary: During winter break Ritsu promises to help Mio write new lyrics over the weekend. Feelings are revealed in a fight, ending with Ritsu treating Mio to a day out in the town. And it is during the end of this time that something between them is realized...
1. Chapter 1

It's been over a month since a new Mitsu story was posted and I just went crazy about it that I had to write to fill in the void. I'm sure everyone was missing their Mitsu having some type of action! Anyways, I got the inspiration from a song I'd been listening to nonstop and one day I just pictured Mio and Ritsu as the lyrics were playing hence this story was formed. And since my nice beta is visiting me, I was able to get my story edited in person! So thank you AngelinHell! Alas, feedback is always appreciated from you, my readers! So drop a review and as always, enjoy!

**_Disclaimer: I do not own K-ON! or its characters._**

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"Ritsu, are you going to help or not?" Mio said to the brown haired girl who was on the bed. Ritsu flipped through a reference book with disinterest before setting it aside.

"But, Mio." Ritsu complained as she stretched her arms out toward the ceiling. "I just don't have any ideas right now. And I'm bored. I thought it'd be more fun doing lyrics with you during winter break.

"I'm sorry that I'm so boring. " Mio said bitterly as she wrote something into her notebook.

"Hey, I didn't say that!" Ritsu said as she sat up. "Look, how about we take a break and go outside or something for today. It's Saturday. We should be out doing something fun. We can work on the lyrics tomorrow. I promise!"

Ritsu frowned as Mio continued to scribble in her notebook without pausing. Then Ritsu smiled as an idea came to her head.

"I'll take you anywhere you want. I just got my allowance too. My treat."

Mio put down her pencil and picked up her notebook as if to examine it. Ritsu wondered how much more she could push the issue without Mio getting mad, when she noticed that the tips of Mio's ears were red.

"Er, Mio? If you don't want to do that it's okay. I'm not trying to make you do anything you don't want to. We can stay here and I'll try harder to concentrate. Besides, it's cold outside and -"

"I…want…as Mugi…" Mio mumbled.

"Haaa?" Ritsu said, giving Mio a strange look. "What did you say just now?"

"Same…Mugi…"

"You know, unless you speak up I won't know what you're saying."

"I WANT YOU TO TREAT ME TO THE SAME PLACES AS MUGI!" Mio burst out, causing Ritsu to fall off the bed in surprise.

She stayed on the floor for a moment trying to register what just happened. Mio was startled by her own actions and rushed to Ritsu, raising her to a sitting position.

"I'm sorry Ritsu! Are you okay? You're not hurt anywhere, are you?"

Ritsu started to shake her head slowly before she looked under Mio's bed while grinning and said,

"Oh Mio! What shall I do? All the barnacles under your bed are going to eat me!"

_THUNK_

"Argh! That hurt Mio!"

Mio gave Ritsu a scowl before turning away from her. With tears in her eyes, Ritsu rubbed the spot on her heard where a lump was forming.

"Serves you right Ritsu." Mio huffed. "Barnacles can eat you for all I care."

"Aw, c'mon Mio. Don't be like that." Ritsu said, tugging on Mio's legs. Mio refused to budge. Ritsu sighed and pondered as what to do. Then a mischievous grin spread across her face. She leaned back casually and began to speak.

"So Mio. About me treating you today. You said you wanted to go to the same places I took Mugi that one time, right?"

Mio tilted her head slightly to show she was listening but still refused to look at Ritsu.

"Could it be you were jealous that I had Mugi all to myself?" Ritsu snickered inwardly as she saw Mio stiffen up. "I do remember you said you wanted to be with her too."

Mio turned around and Ritsu noticed her cheeks were slightly red, which for some reason made her heart race.

"That's not…I wasn't jealous…" Mio attempted to say while looking at the ground.

"What can I say? I'm always fun to be with. I really did have a lot of fun with Mugi, going out to all those places. The candy store, the arcade. And then remember I told you how she wanted to get hit in the head like when you do it to me? If she had just scared you from the beginning, then I'm sure she would have gotten hit. Maybe I should go out alone with her more and find ways to scare you. It'd be fun for sure."

Ritsu chuckled a bit and quickly closed her eyes in anticipation of the fist that was surely going to pummel her head once more. Instead, Ritsu heard a sniffle. She opened her eyes and saw that Mio had made her way to her to the window sill and was crying as she sat on it, looking out the window. Ritsu's face fell and she slowly walked towards Mio.

"Mio?"

"…"

Ritsu reached out her hand and put it on Mio's shoulder tentatively.

"Mio, I'm sorry. I didn't mean-"

"_Enough…"_

"What?"

"I've had enough Ritsu!" Mio jumped up and in the process slapped Ritsu's hand away.

Ritsu stared in confusion as Mio began to move about angrily.

"Lately you're always like this. You didn't mean to what? To tease me? To hurt my feelings? To brag about all the fun things you've been doing without a thought about me?"

At this Ritsu felt irritated and retorted back.

"Hey, now. That's not fair! I did invite you to hang with us that day. You said you wanted to study, remember?"

"Yes but you should know me by now. You know that if you had pressed it a bit more I would have gone. You could have called me back and told me Mugi was with you."

"Oh, so only if Mugi was with me you would have gone out with me? You don't see me just tagging along with you when you go out with Nodoka. I still would hang out with you regardless."

"Don't bring Nodoka into this!"

Mio and Ritsu both glared at each other, but something inside Ritsu broke and caused her to turn away first.

"You know, I'm sorry that I'm not Nodoka and can't be so proper and civilized all the time as you'd like me to be." Ritsu said in a quiet, controlled voice.

Mio felt the adrenaline within her simmer at the tone of Ritsu's voice and spoke in an equally quiet yet kind voice.

"Ritsu. Listen. You don't have to be like Nodoka. You are you. If you changed, you wouldn't be yourself anymore."

"Let's just face it. I'm not cut out to be with you. I can't stop myself from teasing you or pulling you around my own pace. If I was more like you and Nodoka, studying like a model student and be responsible, I'm sure we wouldn't have fought like that just now."

Ritsu sat on the ground, pulled up her legs, and wrapped her arms around them. Mio knelt down and put her arms around Ritsu and whispered into her ear.

_ "But if you were like that, you wouldn't be the Ritsu I love."_

Ritsu's eyes widened in surprise and she felt her heart race a bit faster than earlier. Before she could say anything, Mio put her hand over her mouth.

"I know. I know. That was cheesy."

Ritsu smiled teasingly as Mio began turning a light pink.

"Just let me get away with that without you saying anything for once and we'll call all the teasing you've done to me so far as even. Please?"

Ritsu was about to move Mio's hand to speak, but the intensity of Mio's gray eyes focused on her entranced her so that all she could do was shake her head up and down. Mio sighed as she plopped herself down onto her bed and covered her eyes with her arms. Ritsu got up from the ground and sat on the bed, feeling a faint blush cover her face as she looked at Mio.

"That wasn't fair, Mio-chuan. I still feel itchy about what you just said. Though it did make me happy. How are you going to take responsibility for making me feel this way?"

"Well, for starters, didn't you say you were going to treat me out today?" Mio peeked out from under her arms.

"Yes, but-"

"Then that settles it." Mio said as sat up. "You do as you promised and I just might let you forget about what I said."

"Might let me forget?"

"Yes, might. If you get like that again, I just have to remind you how important you are to me as my best friend."

At this, Ritsu felt a short yet sharp pain stab within her but it went away as quickly as it had come. Before she had time to ponder as to why it happened, Mio was already heading out to the door.

"Anyways, let's get ready. I plan to use our time outside to come up with some ideas for lyrics. You should observe things around us as well. We have all of tonight and tomorrow to write down our thoughts."

"Whatever you say, my dangerous queen." Ritsu said cheekily as she bowed to Mio.

"Why you! "

Ritsu ran out the door as Mio made to hit her.

"C'mon Mio! I'll treat you to a day better than any girl has ever been treated to!"

Ritsu laughed as she ran down the stairs, but not before glancing back at Mio who was blushing furiously. Ritsu shrugged it off as Mio just being angry for being called by her nickname. When Ritsu was no longer in sight, Mio shook her and began to walk down the stairs.


	2. Chapter 2

Thanks for the reviews everyone. Though the whole grammar comments made me shift an eyebrow a few times. It's a story where I'm using how Ritsu would have spoken like in the manga/anime. They even said in the 2nd season that she talked rather boyish. So forgive me if my grammar seems careless. I'm only doing what comes natural to Ritsu. Besides, who wants to see such a proper, refined, polite Ritsu? The Juliet episode was nice but I prefer Ritsu as she normally is. Though a boyish Mio was fine too. :D Special thanks to Soldier Story, who kept me company as I finished this at the stroke of midnight and gave me PLENTY of material for the next chapter. :D Hopefully the next one is the final chapter. We'll see. Any thoughts or questions you have about the story or other things, let me know in reviews!

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_**Disclaimer: K-ON! is not mine. If it was, I'd be watching the movie already…and it would have Mitsu.**_

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"So this is your idea of the best day ever, huh?"

"Hey, it's not my fault I didn't know the candy store and arcade were having renovations over winter break. Give me a break my feisty queen!"

_THUNK_

"Sorry." Ritsu rubbed her head and turned her gaze to Mio, who had her arms folded with a frown on her face.

"So now what do we do?"

"Well, there are other cheap things to do on a date I suppose..." Ritsu put her hands behind her head and as they slowly walked toward a bench and sat down.

"Yes, there is other-Wait a minute. D-date? This is a date?" Mio said, her cheeks becoming flushed.

"Mmm?" Ritsu broke out of her pondering. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing really but I always planned my first winter date to be with a guy and…"

"And what?" Ritsu leaned in with a teasing grin on her face.

"You'll just laugh." Mio said bitterly as she turned away from Ritsu.

"No I won't. Just tell me." Ritsu said, looking at Mio seriously.

"Well….as soon as it starts to snow, we lean in to kiss. There. I said it. Happy?" Mio glanced at Ritsu who was giving her a strange look. Then Ritsu's head dropped forward and she laughed. Mio turned red and puffed out her cheeks.

"What's so funny?"

Ritsu wiped the tears from her eyes before speaking.

"You really are into fairy-tale like settings, aren't you?"

"What's wrong with that?" she huffed. "Then tell me what you want in a date!"

"Me?" Ritsu pointed to herself and she straightened herself up.

She tilted her head back and looked toward the winter sky.

"I don't really care what we do as long as it's fun. I wouldn't like being lavished with lovey dovey itchy type affection all the time." Ritsu scratched the side of her head with a light blush on her face. "Although, a bit of your fairy-tale dream wouldn't be too bad I suppose. I mean, I'd try my best to make sure things are perfect between us. And if it fails, just being with them is more than enough for me."

"You sound just like a guy with what you said." Mio said laughing as she playfully hit Ritsu on the head.

Ritsu grabbed Mio's hand and was about to retort something back but stopped when she saw the look on Mio's face.

"But yeah. I guess just being with the one you like is all you need. It'd be nice if I met someone who more or less has the same ideals as you do Ritsu. Just not the scaring part. Though that is some of your charm. Someone out there must like that."

"Hey!"

Mio giggled as Ritsu's face turned into a bright pink. Her eyebrows furrowed for a moment and then she shook her head and smiled.

"Oh well. Thanks I guess."

"Mmhm." Mio smiled, pleased that for once she caught Ritsu off guard. Ritsu suddenly had an idea come to her and decided to put it into action.

"You know…" Ritsu said smirking while latching onto Mio's arm. "Mugi did say I was a good escort on that day I was with her."

"What does that have to do with anything?" Mio said suspiciously, trying to get Ritsu to let go of her.

"Well, Mugi said that I'd be popular if I were a guy. That I was a good friend and that I'd do anything for them."

"Well yeah, but why mention this to me?"

"I was thinking. Let's treat today as like a real date."

"Eeehhh?"

Ritsu frowned for a moment and spoke again.

"Well, it'd be more of a _play date_ in preparation for your actual date."

"Why would I agree to something that we do all the time?" Mio said. "And who says I need to be prepared?"

"I just think with how easily you get embarrassed about things, it might be a good way for you to get used to it. It's only for a day anyways."

Mio lowered her head down as she thought about it. Ritsu chose to focus on their surroundings as she waited. She noticed that it was slightly cloudy and a small breeze was making the leaves around them tremble. Few people were out but the ones who were seemed to all be couples. Ritsu shivered for a moment and checked back on Mio. She chuckled softly to herself when she saw the indecisiveness strewn across Mio's face. When she caught herself admiring the way Mio looked as a whole, Ritsu shook her head sharply and broke the silence.

"Look. I promised you that I would treat you today and I still plan to. That idea is the only thing I can think of that we can do together and be fun. I just need a yes or no Mio. If not, I can try to think of something else. Or maybe we can do this another time, though I rather keep my promise to you this time."

Ritsu sighed and looked at Mio expectantly.

"I don't know Ritsu…." Mio said, shifting uncomfortably. "I'm not sure I can make myself _pretend _to like you in that-"

"So you don't like me at all?" Ritsu said dramatically while putting her hand to her forehead. "I thought I was special! All the time we spent sharing our deepest secrets, they were just lies? I thought we would be together forever! I thought-"

_THUNK THUNK_

"Enough! You know what I mean!" Mio continued to hold up her fist threateningly. Ritsu cowered in fear and rubbed her head furiously.

"Ugh. I get it. I get it. Fine, we'll do it your way. Mostly." Ritsu laughed as she got up from the bench and stretched.

"Wait a minute! I didn't say yes!"

"Don't be an old lady Mio. It's just for fun. It's not like nothing bad will happen."

"But…" Mio blushed and cast her eyes down as she fidgeted with her hands in her lap.

"Mio."

"What?" Mio looked up and was startled to find Ritsu's face just a few inches away from her own. The blazing determination reflected in Ritsu's golden orbs made Mio's heart skip a beat.

"Trust me."

Ritsu pulled back and extended her hand out to Mio. Mio just shook her head up and down slowly as she reached for Ritsu's hand. Ritsu cracked a grin and quickly pulled Mio to her feet, snapping Mio out of her trance.

"Let's go Mio!" Ritsu said as she forcibly made Mio run.

"H-hey wait! Where are going?"

"To the beach!" Ritsu said.


End file.
